Full disclosure: my wife is co-owner of 3 kids’ bookstores,
although to keep the stores being successful, given my track record in
financial matters, I am not allowed to play any role whatsoever in how the
stores are run (I married smart!).
But the reason for that disclosure is to tell you about a
study in the journal Neurology that has concluded that the habit – I would call
it the necessary task – of lifelong reading is great for the brain.
In this study, researchers were able to do repeated
cognitive testing on just under 300 volunteers, who when they died, allowed
their brains to be analyzed for Alzheimer’s disease changes.
Quite clearly, those subjects who had used their brains for
more intellectual pursuits than the others had better cognitive functioning
into later life – less deterioration, and starting their declines at a later
age, too – and their brains also had fewer of the changes we associate with AD
compared to their peers who were not as intellectually inclined.
The earlier in life that good habit was acquired, the
better, although starting to do more intellectual pursuits – crosswords,
reading, etc- at any age was associated with a positive change.
Read to your kids, folks! It’s great for them, but hey, it’s
also good for you.
